AUSTIN (KXAN) — Drivers who continually fail to pay their toll debts could face tickets, impoundment and even blocked registration if a measure by the Texas Department of Transportation passes next week.

GOING IN-DEPTH// Fees add up fast

Tolls are a small part of unpaid bills, it’s the late fees that add up.

A regular toll charge can be as little as $1.72, but late payment fees can add up to $5 to that total.

That rises to a $25 fee if TxDOT transfers the bill to a collection agency.

Finally, if it goes to court, the $1.72 toll could rise to a $351.72 bill.

TxDOT is asking the Texas Transportation Commission to approve further measures against habitual toll violators making it possible for them to have their vehicles banned from toll roads, receive tickets from law enforcement, get their car impounded and possibly blocked from vehicle registration renewal. These steps are in addition to TxDOT’s efforts to get toll violators to pay up in November, when they publicly released the top toll violators.

In a statement released by TxDOT on Monday, James Bass, the TxDOT interim executive director, said “these additional actions will send the message that habitual toll violations will not be tolerated… Not paying tolls is effectively stealing from the taxpayers of Texas.” He added TxDOT will continue its efforts to collect unpaid tolls.

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